Worth the Wager
by Casa Circe
Summary: Sequel to "Not Beyond Recovery" and "A Perilous Pursuit". The Aston sisters and the Fanel brothers struggle to undo the damage caused by Zaibach on the people they hold dear. Though they stand to lose much, if they succeed, all is theirs to gain.


**Worth the Wager**

**Disclaimer: None of the characters of Escaflowne belong to me. No profit is made from this other than reviews and some sense of personal gratification.**

_**Note: **__The wait is over! Welcome to the third and final installment of this trilogy. I still haven't decided on a decent title for the whole thing so for the moment, I'll go with my silly title, the Sibling Salvage Service Saga._

_My sincerest apologies for taking this long to post this. There was a lot of brainstorming, procrastinating, soul-searching, self-doubt, and all that jazz involved. Not to mention I got sidetracked by other fics (one of which is nearly complete anyway so I don't mind posting this simultaneously.) And it took me forever to come up with a satisfactory title, as usual._

_But I wanted to get this story up before the year ends and I realized that that deadline is approaching fast. Pressure is always the best motivation for me so I pushed myself to finally put the ideas on the page. And I'm happier for it._

_This picks up almost exactly where "Not Beyond Recovery" left off. I'm going to try my best to keep the style consistent to meaningful conversations between key characters so there won't be any epic guymelef battles or sword fights involved, just to let you know what to expect. _

_But since there is still a lot to go through, story-wise, this one will be significantly longer than the first two. I'm planning ten chapters which i will endeavor to keep interesting. I hope you don't get bored along the way. This is only the beginning and I'm getting pretty excited. Sorry for all the rambling._

_Hope you enjoy the first chapter and please share your thoughts with me!_

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Millerna Aston stared sadly at the single black feather on her sister's desk.

Having just heard what it represented, the young princess added another sorrow to her current list of worries which was more than long enough. She turned to her older sister who maintained a serene demeanor even though Millerna knew that Eries felt the gravity of this revelation even more keenly than she did.

The two Asturian princesses were sharing a few quiet moments in between their endless duties, safely within the confines of Eries' private study room, away from a host of demanding ministers and shielded temporarily from the looming shadow of war.

When Eries had invited her for an important discussion, Millerna had not been sure of what to expect. Recently, both princesses had grown quite concerned about the fate of a former Zaibach Strategos and they might even go so far as to consider him a friend. So it greatly saddened Millerna to hear about his tragic circumstances even though she did not yet fully understand how such a situation could happen. But after the explanation of the black feather, the younger sister realized how much of a burden this knowledge must have been to Eries.

"How long have you known?" Millerna asked.

"Only several days," Eries replied calmly and seeing her sister's questioning expression, she added, "it was not my secret to tell."

"Of course," Millerna agreed quickly, slightly embarrassed that her sister had managed to read her mind so well.

"In fact, this was revealed to me quite by accident," Eries continued, "Lord Van let it slip in a conversation because he thought I was already aware of it. And the next time I spoke to his brother, he confirmed its truth."

"This is a wretched state of affairs," Millerna commented with a sigh, "but something tells me the situation is not completely hopeless."

Eries nodded curtly causing Millerna to smile with relief. The latter knew her sister well enough to recognize when she was completely forlorn. And from the moment Millerna had entered the study, she sensed something hopeful in her sister's manner. Eries had never been one to give up easily, a family trait.

"Tell me, what are the chances he can be saved, after all?" Millerna asked eagerly.

"Very little, I'm afraid," Eries replied honestly, trying not to get her sister's hopes up - or her own, for that matter, "and even with this, we must still prepare ourselves for the worst."

But Millerna was determined not to despair.

"Still better than nothing," Millerna declared optimistically, her scientific mind already exploring possible solutions. And her doctor's instinct was to save a life in danger so was eager to have more data to work with.

"I've also consulted with Lord Dryden on this matter," Eries added cautiously, watching her sister's reaction to the mention of her betrothed.

While there was no hostility between Dryden and Millerna, Eries knew that their relationship at present was complicated, to say the least. But with all the urgent concerns of the war and their duties, they had not yet had a chance to discuss and to clarify their situation. So Eries was somewhat apprehensive about her sister's reaction to Dryden's involvement in this mission. But she felt almost certain that Millerna's concern for Folken's life would take precedence over any awkwardness she might feel about working with the merchant-scholar.

"As you know, he has a vast deal of knowledge about ancient Gaean history and he has also done a considerable amount of research on the lives of Draconians. I believe he can be of great help to us," Eries elaborated, still taking note of her sister's countenance.

But Millerna expressed nothing but some surprise and her face did not betray some of the confusion she was sure to be feeling. She was learning to keep her emotions in check and Eries could not help but feel proud of her. The older sister had no intention of prying into Millerna's affairs because she knew that some matters had to be resolved on one's own. But when Millerna is ready to confide in her, Eries will be prepared to listen.

"Of course," the young princess said simply, "I'm sure his input will be very valuable."

"I'm glad you think so," Eries replied, with some relief. Millerna gave her a reassuring smile.

"And what about Lord Folken himself?" she asked, "How are we to proceed with this?"

"There are still some details to iron out and he has agreed to be as open as possible on his predicament," Eries answered gravely, "But I must confess, he did not intend to question his circumstances at first."

"What do you mean?" Millerna asked in alarm, "He wanted to die?"

"He was convinced that his condition was irreversible," Eries explained, remembering the look of complete resignation in Folken's eyes, a look that still caused her some pain.

"Ah, but you managed to change his mind," Millerna remarked with a knowing smile. But Eries was not so easily teased.

"I merely made him consider an alternative," Eries clarified calmly, "but sometimes a change in perspective makes all the difference."

"It certainly does in this case," Millerna said approvingly, "and you are too modest about your talents, my dear sister. I am sure that you are the only person he would have listened to on this matter. I have the impression that he only defers to others if he has the highest respect for them."

This was Millerna's turn to watch her sister's reaction to her words. She always had her suspicions about her sister and the Strategos and she very much wanted them to be confirmed. But trying to determine the true feelings of two such reserved individuals always proved to be a challenge. And even with her light teasing, she could never get a rise out of her sister. And given the circumstances, she could hardly tease Folken though she felt that she might get some better results in that quarter.

"You flatter me, sister," Eries said, as calm and unreadable as ever.

Millerna would have been frustrated but she was too fond of her sister for that. And Eries reaction had been expected.

"Well, it is fortunate that you made him see reason," Millerna remarked cheerfully, "I doubt anyone else would have been capable of that."

"He needed to be reminded that in spite of everything, there are still some people on his side," Eries observed solemnly, "and that there are those would mourn him if he goes."

The older sister paused pensively, an emotion flashing in her eyes ever so briefly, the moment revealing more to Millerna than the latter had expected. She put a hand on her sister's shoulder reassuringly and Eries gave her a small, grateful smile.

"There's his brother, for one," Eries continued, unwilling to be distracted by a grim thought, "who has just recently begun to speak to him."

"Your doing, I suppose," Millerna asked slyly, a question to which Eries merely shrugged.

"It's early days, of course," said Eries, "but that is why more time is essential. I think that given enough time, they will soon reach some understanding."

"I think there is still some hope for them," Millerna agreed, "and that is definitely worth fighting for."

"And Lord Folken also knows that you still have many questions about Zaibach medical technology," Eries proceeded, "so he would not want to disappoint you."

"He deserves credit for that, of course," Millerna replied, "but you overestimate his concern for my interests. I think that it is more likely you he does not want to disappoint."

"I can't imagine why would think so," Eries said without missing a beat.

Millerna almost rolled her eyes but she restrained herself and simply raised an eyebrow at her sister, causing Eries some amusement.

The younger princess decided not to force the issue but she knew that there was something her sister was holding back. However, Millerna was learning to be more patient and she was certain that she would understand everything, all in good time.

There were more urgent matters to focus on. And Millerna hoped more than anything that all would be well. They had all been through so much and she longed to see her sister find some well-deserved happiness.

But before they could continue their discussion, there was a knock at the door. A servant entered, bowing politely.

"My apologies for the interruption, your Highnesses," the servant said cordially, "but Sir Allen Schezar is in the hall and he wishes to speak to you both. He says it is a matter of great importance."


End file.
